Spiral tool-driver.



D. RIOUX.

- SPIRAL TOOL DRIVER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19, 1910.

Patented Oct. .25, 1910.

III

INVENTOR,

BY I

, a ATTORNEY.

DAVID RIoUx, on SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPIRAL TOOL-DRIVER. I

' Specification of Letters mm. P t t d t, 25 1910,

Application filed July 19,1910. Serial No. 572,660.

To all whom it mag concern: V

Be it known that 1, DAVID Rroux, a British subject, and resident ofSpringfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Spiral Tool-Drivers, of

which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description. v

This invention relates to spiral tool drivers of a general kind, wellknown as comprising a shaft,which is connected or engaged with the chuckor holder for the screw driver or other tool,which is made with double,reversely arranged and crossing spiral grooves, and a tubular handlepart within and relatively to which the grooved shaft has an endwisemovement, together with a pair of oppositely arranged dogs in saidtubular part with means for throwing either one of the dogs intoengagement with either one of the spiral grooves so that in theoperation of the implement the screwdriver may be turned to the rightfor screwing in, or turned to the left for unscrewing; the said dogoperating means being effective at pleasure for simultaneously holdingboth the dogs into engagement with the spiral shaft so that the samebecomes as a fixed shank for the implement and by being non-rotativerelatively to the tubular handle part is, then, so far as its operativecapacity is concerned, driver. The invention particularly relates to thecombination and arrangement of the dogs which engage the spiral groovesof the operating shaft with the means for retaining them in their placein the implement, for automatically throwing them outward to theirdisengaging positions, and for throwing them, one or the other, or bothtogether v located in the said apertures 65 d, andwhich into theirgroove engaging positions, the object being to render the screw driverof extreme simplicity, to impart the capability of a very strong andreliable engagement of the dogs in the grooves of the operating shaftand of rendering the implement durable and reliable for protracted usewithout the same becoming deranged.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsand is defined in the claims. 7

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side view of the spiral shaft screw driverwith a portion thereof in which the especially novel features of theinvention are comprised shown for different operative efiects.

like an ordinary, simple, screw in section; Figs. 2 and 3 are partiallongitudinal sectional views at opposite sides of the implement at thesame portion sectionally represented in Fig. 1, but as seen at rightanglesto said first figure. Figs. 4,5 and 6 are cross sections taken online m at, Fig. 2, but showing the rotatively adjustable dog inclosingshell as in different positions Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one ofthe duplicated dogs comprised in the device. Fig. 8 is a sectional viewthrough the rotative shell, and Fig. 9 is a development showing the camformations of its inner surface.

Similar characters of'reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe views.

In the drawings, A represents the tool operating shaft made with doubleand oppo sitely coursingspiral grooves a of suitable pitc B represents ahandle member which is of tubular .form closed at its upper or butt endat which the handle, proper, b, is comprised, and open at its forwardend. Toward the forward portion of the tubular handle member in oppositesides thereof are apertures cl d, which are oppositely oblique from theaxial line of the handle member, as comparisonoftheopposite side views,Figs. 2 and 3, will show- E represents a plate or flat spring whichintermediately thereof is secured 'by being screwed on the tubularmember; and said spring, being of a curved or bow form extending throughapproximately a half of a l circle, is arranged so that its free andreacting extremltles cross the opposite apertures d (l and are somewhatwithin the depth thereof by reason of the said spring being sunk in therecess f therefor in the tubular part B.

G G represent the pair of dogs which are have recesses each in itsintermediate portion at its inner. side, as represented at h, and

the said dogs are by such recessed portions in engagement with theextremities of the sald icurved flat spring; and each dog has at itsportion between the recess h and its opposite ends the inwardlyprojecting ribs 71 2' for en.- gagement in the reversely running spiralgroove 0; of the operating shaft A.

J represents a tubular shell or sleeve which is fitted and rotativelyadjustable about the portion of the hollow handle member B at which thedogs have their engagements, endwise movement of this sleeve beingprevented in one direction by the shoulder 70, and in the otherdirection by the thimble wawhich has a screw engagement with the forwardend portion of the handle member. The internal wall of the sleeve orshell J has cam surfaces 0 0 as particularly shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and8, and with a full internal projection or rib to constitute a stop.

It will be stated that this implement similar to others of the samegeneral kind is provided with a cylindrical member M-which constitutes aholding member to be grasped by one hand, and which comprises a chuck atits forward end for a screw driver y or other tool to be operated; andthe connection between the forward end of thespirally grooved operatingshaft and the holding member is of such character that the holdingmember and shaft may at times be in clutch and non-rotative onerelatively to the other or thrown tosuch manner of disengagement thatthe shaft may rotate freely and independently of the holding member. Butas the provisions last referred to are common in this class of spiralshaft screw drivers'and are not claimed herein, especial illustration ofthe same is omitted.

For screw driver uses the implement may be set so that when the handlemember, in its most rearward or. extended position relatively to theshaft, is then forced down with a straight thrust by one hand toward theholding member M which is in the firm grasp of the otherhand, thespirally grooved operating shaft because of the engagement of theobliquely positioned ribs of the inwardly forced dog will have a turningmo tion to the right as for turning in. a screw; and a condition of thedevice as last referred to may be such as represented in the crosssection Fig. 4, while when" the cam shell J is turned to the otherextreme position, as represented in Fig. 5, the forward or downwardthrusts of the tubular handle member, the other dog of which is now in.engagement with the spiral groove of'the shaft, will cause a reversedturning of'the shaft as required for unscrewing.

The setting of the shell for either of the reversed rotative movementsof the. groove operating shaft will be limited and determined by thestop rib 79 on the inside. of the shell which will be brought toabutment with the side. of one or the other of the dogs G as clearlyrepresented in Figs. Aland 5; but by turning the shell so that it hasthe position represented in Fig. 6 with the full portions of theopposite cams 0 0 in impinge ment 011 both of the dogs, so that both areat the same time crowded inwardly to engagements with the reverselyspiral and crossing grooves, the handle member is brought into deadlockwith the operating shaft so that it cannot have any sliding movementaxially relatively to the shaft, and so that any turning movement of thehandle will necessarily turn the shaft as one with it, rendering theimplement under such conditions like the ordinary simple screw driver inwhich the handle is permanently aflixed to the shank of the tool.

Simplicity and cheapness is acquired by the form and arrangement of thespring E as shown in conjunction with the opposite dogs having therecesses h midway between their ends at their inner sides; and strongand effective engagements are insured by the provision at the innersides of the dog of the duplicated ribs opposite each recess h.

I claim 1. In a spiral tool driver, the combination with a tooloperating shaft made with double oppositely running spiral grooves, of ahandle member of tubular form, inclosing and axially movable relativelyto the shaft, provided in opposite sides with apertures, dogs in saidapertures having ribs in oblique arrangements corresponding to thespirality of the said reversely running grooves, a shell fitted aboutthe tubular and apertured member rotatively adjustable relativelythereto,- and inclosing said dogs, and having internal cam surfacescotiperative with the dogs, and means for forcing the dogs outwardlyfrom the grooved operating shaft.

2. In an implement of the character described, the combination with atool operating shaft made with double oppositely running spiral grooves,of a handle member of tubular form inclosing and movable axiallyrelatively to the shaft, provided in opposite sides with aperturestherethrough, a flat curved spring which intermediately thereof issecured on the tubular member and which has its extremities extendedacross both said apertures, dogs located in said apertures havingrecesses at intermediate portions of their inner sides by which they areengaged with the extremities of said curved springs and having theirportionsoppositely beyond said recesses provided with inwardlyprojecting ribs for engagement in said reversely running grooves, and ashell fitted and rotatably adjustable about the tubular apertured memberhaving internal cam surfaces cotiperative with the backs of the dogs.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

DAVID RIOUX.

Witnesses:

D. J. RIoUx, WM. S. BnLLows.

